Paperback had always seen games, whether on a screen or a table, as a way for him to escape reality for an hour or two. He would spend all weekend hanging out with his friends and playing D&D, and made gaming the center and highlight which his life revolved around. So when the group goes on hiatus a friend suggests he get the newest MMO, complete with a Virtual Reality system. It seems like a brilliant idea to satisfy his need to escape at first, but sometimes making a game too real might mean that the players never want to leave...

A spin-off of the story Equestrian Earth, although I try my best to make this story standalone. Content rating set as Teen for depictions of fantasy violence and other possible themes as they may be added.